On 12 November 2025, Government approved the preparation of a General Scheme for the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill which will amend the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021. The Bill will provide a legislative basis for the designation and effective management of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Irish waters. Work on the general scheme is ongoing and it will be published at the earliest opportunity.
At present there are no specific sites identified for designation as MPAs in Ireland. However, the process to identify the species, habitats and ecosystem services (i.e. the benefits humans derive from the marine environment) is underway.
It is intended that future MPA sites provided for under the amended MAP Act will be informed by a series of Ecological Sensitivity Analyses undertaken by the Department and the MPA Advisory Group, with the added support of the MPA LIFE Ireland project (2024-2033). The first two such comprehensive assessments were completed in 2023 (western Irish Sea) and 2024 (Celtic Sea) respectively. A third such study is currently being established by the Department to cover Ireland’s Atlantic waters to the outer limits of Ireland’s maritime area.
These scientific undertakings take into account the best available evidence for a wide range of species, habitats and ecosystem services that merit protection. They are intended to result in initial identification of suitable areas within which potential MPAs may be possible in the future.
Ireland has an obligation under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) to achieve and maintain good environmental status in our maritime area. Among the measures laid down by the MSFD are spatial protection measures, including area-based conservation measures like MPAs that will contribute to the achievement of good status in our marine waters. This decision and its expected legislative outcome will further enable Ireland to meet its target of protecting 30% of the maritime area in an ecologically coherent manner by 2030.
The DMAP design process requires public consultation and this will be required for MPA DMAPs also. In addition to this the amending legislation will make provision for the Minister to seek the assistance of relevant scientific, socio-economic and cultural experts as well as sectoral and community stakeholder expertise to co-design MPA DMAPs when appropriate.
